Garmin does blood pressure now
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Garmin does blood pressure now
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/716808
This isn't a release many people would have predicted, I'm curious to know more and see what's next.
This isn't a release many people would have predicted, I'm curious to know more and see what's next.
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They beat Apple to the punch.
Given how much many commercial wrist blood pressure monitors aren't worth their weight in sand, it will be interesting to see how it performs.
Given how much many commercial wrist blood pressure monitors aren't worth their weight in sand, it will be interesting to see how it performs.
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The Garmin one looks more traditional as medical equipment:
It costs $150. It looks like a cheap but legitimate BP monitor can be had for $20. The Garmin one records into their Connect service, that doesn't seem worth $130 to me but I don't have hypertension.
Very curious about the business case and possible regulatory back story to this. It would be great for patients to be able to bring their data to clinics and avoid having tests done generally, BP is free and noninvasive though. I feel like this implies Garmin wants to dip its toe in a new market.
It costs $150. It looks like a cheap but legitimate BP monitor can be had for $20. The Garmin one records into their Connect service, that doesn't seem worth $130 to me but I don't have hypertension.
Very curious about the business case and possible regulatory back story to this. It would be great for patients to be able to bring their data to clinics and avoid having tests done generally, BP is free and noninvasive though. I feel like this implies Garmin wants to dip its toe in a new market.
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Yeah, sorry, I posted before I looked.
Mine goes up in a clinical setting, so I think having one that records (so they don't have to take my word for it) might be worth it.
Cheapest reliable one I found was $60, so this is about 2X more.
Mine goes up in a clinical setting, so I think having one that records (so they don't have to take my word for it) might be worth it.
Cheapest reliable one I found was $60, so this is about 2X more.
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I don't take my bp that often, maybe once a week. I have a blood pressure monitor where the electronics is separate. Omron has some of that type for $50-ish that are validated, but mine was about $80. The one I got has bluetooth so I can more easily record my data somewhere I can look at it. I can see how it would be nice to have the data on connect.
It would be nice if it met the AMA criteria for validation, which it doesn't appear to do. I think they ran their own trial. https://www.validatebp.org/manufacturers/
It would be nice if it met the AMA criteria for validation, which it doesn't appear to do. I think they ran their own trial. https://www.validatebp.org/manufacturers/
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My smart watch is a cheap ~$50 Chinese smart watch which has a blood pressure function, but I don't take it seriously at all. Most of the time it reads like 102/62 or something way low like that. I do try to keep the watch at my heart level but it doesn't seem to change much. I did get it to read 121/74 once which I think was probably closer to reality.
It also reads blood oxygen which I think seems to be fairly accurate, usually reads from 96-98%, and heart rate seems to be accurate. But if I really want to check my blood pressure I'll use a blood pressure cuff and not the watch.
It also reads blood oxygen which I think seems to be fairly accurate, usually reads from 96-98%, and heart rate seems to be accurate. But if I really want to check my blood pressure I'll use a blood pressure cuff and not the watch.
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Garmin does blood pressure now
"does" - is that raising or lowering of that blood pressure? I'll stick to staying uninformed and stress-free. BITD I had a real cuff and took my BP in the morning to check my recovery. (My racing days.) If I could get it, I knew I wasn't fully recovered. If all was well, it was so low I couldn't find my pulse. Never did learn my waking BP or pulse when rested. Bicycled to an AM blood donation in those days and "flunked" both stolic and diastolic. (98/48. 100/50 was lowest the Red Cross would take. Nurse was disgusted but she wrote the approved minimum and drew my blood. They knew me well as their fittest donor.)
#8
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This is just a wifi connected BP monitor with Garmin Connect. Not the holy grail of no inflating cuff (and non-invasive) blood pressure measurement. If you're already using Garmin Connect then this is a reasonable addition but an Omron or other quality BP monitor is less expensive and just as useful.
When Garmin or another company succeeds with a wearable, reasonably accurate BP and blood sugar monitoring that doesn't require expensive consumables, they will have a winner or their hands.
When Garmin or another company succeeds with a wearable, reasonably accurate BP and blood sugar monitoring that doesn't require expensive consumables, they will have a winner or their hands.
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The Garmin one looks more traditional as medical equipment:
It costs $150. It looks like a cheap but legitimate BP monitor can be had for $20. The Garmin one records into their Connect service, that doesn't seem worth $130 to me but I don't have hypertension.
Very curious about the business case and possible regulatory back story to this. It would be great for patients to be able to bring their data to clinics and avoid having tests done generally, BP is free and noninvasive though. I feel like this implies Garmin wants to dip its toe in a new market.
It costs $150. It looks like a cheap but legitimate BP monitor can be had for $20. The Garmin one records into their Connect service, that doesn't seem worth $130 to me but I don't have hypertension.
Very curious about the business case and possible regulatory back story to this. It would be great for patients to be able to bring their data to clinics and avoid having tests done generally, BP is free and noninvasive though. I feel like this implies Garmin wants to dip its toe in a new market.
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This is just a wifi connected BP monitor with Garmin Connect. Not the holy grail of no inflating cuff (and non-invasive) blood pressure measurement. If you're already using Garmin Connect then this is a reasonable addition but an Omron or other quality BP monitor is less expensive and just as useful.
When Garmin or another company succeeds with a wearable, reasonably accurate BP and blood sugar monitoring that doesn't require expensive consumables, they will have a winner or their hands.
When Garmin or another company succeeds with a wearable, reasonably accurate BP and blood sugar monitoring that doesn't require expensive consumables, they will have a winner or their hands.
Last edited by Siu Blue Wind; 10-08-22 at 08:04 PM. Reason: fixed spelling
#11
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The Garmin universe is expanding all the time. Garmin Connect is handy and takes data from various computers, sensors, watches, and other things. The price is a tad steep for just another data point unless you have BP issues and want your health information consolidated on Connect. Pass for now.
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I got mine today. Overall it is easy to use and the cost wasn't an issue because I basically got it for free as a Bravo award from my current employer. But Tuesday I had a preemployment physical and my BP scared the hell out of the nurse and gave me a bit of concern too. For that reason, I changed my choice of using my award for the BPM monitor instead of the Varia radar I wanted to use it for.
Just a few minutes ago I used it and had 128/79. But earlier today when I unboxed it I was 160/83. I'll probably be seeing my GP soon but hopefully it is going to be a temporary thing after my second COVID bout like my arrhythmia was after the first one.
Just a few minutes ago I used it and had 128/79. But earlier today when I unboxed it I was 160/83. I'll probably be seeing my GP soon but hopefully it is going to be a temporary thing after my second COVID bout like my arrhythmia was after the first one.
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I actually had several BP checks lately in the clinic, and the persons used the old style BP cuffs where they had to use a stethoscope and a bulb to blow up the cuff.
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I've been using my Garmin BPM for months now without issue. Yes it might be more expensive than other BPM on the market, but all of my other health data is in Garmin Connect. So might as well have my BP in there too. Overall I am quite happy with it. Even if the big X is still coming up at the end of my reading. Looking at the Garmin forums I see that I am not the only one experiencing this issue either.
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For future readers of this thread with intent to pursue health data collection, here's another perspective. I use an Omron Evolv, which find really useful and durable. While it definitely costs quite a bit more, I think it's worth it for the iPhone integration and the excellent logging capabilities. If the intent is a legitimate health analysis, I can't imagine why anyone would want a low-priced solution. Now, I'm not typical. I have really crazy BP. Really crazy. Technically called "highly labile BP," it goes to extremes and tends to stay there, hard to trigger a reversal once it goes. Baroreceptor damage in the carotid artery from radiation therapy to the neck 15 years ago. I can pull 170/140 in front of someone wearing a white coat; I can print 80/40 after eating, drinking, exercising or 30 minutes settling in front of the TV. I can stand up on the train ride home and suddenly feel stoned beyond belief. A call to the CEO's office and I feel the pressure in my cheekbones. At least once a week, I fake that I'm tying my shoes just to get the blood back to my head. I see a good cardiologist every six months and I always scare the nurse out of her wits. The doc knows my story well, is quite a runner himself, and always likes to see a log of the week before our visit. "Keep up the riding," he says. Recommendations: log a lot of readings in lots of situations, for with everyone there's always variance (not like mine) and your doc will appreciate the broader dataset. Bring your device to a checkup appointment and see that it's fairly "close to calibrated" by letting the pro do one arm while the device does the other - match should be "close enough." And remember, especially around here, that Dr. Internet is not your friend. Find the right doctor for you.
#17
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I seldom get an accurate BP measurement at the doctor's office as they do not have the time or usually the training to do so. Any home monitor is going to be better. With the Garmin smartwatches often the center of training programs people want all their data in one place and this is behind the added functions in the watches and their increase in price and increase in popularity.
A key problem with the Apple watches is their short battery life which is a fraction of that provided by the Garmin watches. My Epix 2 has a battery life of up to 16 days. Compare that with up to 18 hours for an Apple smart watch.
A key problem with the Apple watches is their short battery life which is a fraction of that provided by the Garmin watches. My Epix 2 has a battery life of up to 16 days. Compare that with up to 18 hours for an Apple smart watch.
#18
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I have a home unit which connects to my phone over bluetooth. The brand is 1byone Health. It gives readings higher than I get at the doctor's office or blood center so it could be defective. I've heard that your reading can be high at the doctor's office from the stress of being there, but that's clearly not my problem, since my readings are lower there. I've heard bad things said about the cheap stuff, so maybe this is a good unit. My unit is supposed to be able to upload to my doctor's web portal, but that hasn't worked reliably. I bet Garmin does a better job at that.
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#19
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Considering the general quality of what Garmin does, the only thing Garmin products can do is act as sensors, i.e. measure, collect and hand over raw data. For everything else Garmin is complete garbage. So, the only option with Garmin devices is to offload the data to an independent third-party post-processing service like Strava, RideWithGPS and somesuch (for bicycle applications), which will try to extract something useful from the raw dump.
Now cue in blood pressure monitors... So, what are they planning to do with blood pressure monitors? Garmin itself has not technological wherewithal to even approach this matter. Is there a community of some sort on the web? SmileUnderPressure.com? GentleSqueeze.net? Who will take the data from the Garmin device and actually do something useful with it (useful to the user of the device)? Without third-party support it's just ordinary Garmin junk.
Now cue in blood pressure monitors... So, what are they planning to do with blood pressure monitors? Garmin itself has not technological wherewithal to even approach this matter. Is there a community of some sort on the web? SmileUnderPressure.com? GentleSqueeze.net? Who will take the data from the Garmin device and actually do something useful with it (useful to the user of the device)? Without third-party support it's just ordinary Garmin junk.
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I get a kick out of these types of threads. Whenever a new product is mentioned the usual response is people chiming in about all the cheaper solutions out there. Garmin now has a interesting environment for weight, pulse OX, heart rate, ECG, FTP and all relevant cycling data as well as other outdoor sports in one integrated portal. Impressive.
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Considering the general quality of what Garmin does, the only thing Garmin products can do is act as sensors, i.e. measure, collect and hand over raw data. For everything else Garmin is complete garbage. So, the only option with Garmin devices is to offload the data to an independent third-party post-processing service like Strava, RideWithGPS and somesuch (for bicycle applications), which will try to extract something useful from the raw dump.
Now cue in blood pressure monitors... So, what are they planning to do with blood pressure monitors? Garmin itself has not technological wherewithal to even approach this matter. Is there a community of some sort on the web? SmileUnderPressure.com? GentleSqueeze.net? Who will take the data from the Garmin device and actually do something useful with it (useful to the user of the device)? Without third-party support it's just ordinary Garmin junk.
Now cue in blood pressure monitors... So, what are they planning to do with blood pressure monitors? Garmin itself has not technological wherewithal to even approach this matter. Is there a community of some sort on the web? SmileUnderPressure.com? GentleSqueeze.net? Who will take the data from the Garmin device and actually do something useful with it (useful to the user of the device)? Without third-party support it's just ordinary Garmin junk.
#22
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Considering the general quality of what Garmin does, the only thing Garmin products can do is act as sensors, i.e. measure, collect and hand over raw data. For everything else Garmin is complete garbage. So, the only option with Garmin devices is to offload the data to an independent third-party post-processing service like Strava, RideWithGPS and somesuch (for bicycle applications), which will try to extract something useful from the raw dump.
Now cue in blood pressure monitors... So, what are they planning to do with blood pressure monitors? Garmin itself has not technological wherewithal to even approach this matter. Is there a community of some sort on the web? SmileUnderPressure.com? GentleSqueeze.net? Who will take the data from the Garmin device and actually do something useful with it (useful to the user of the device)? Without third-party support it's just ordinary Garmin junk.
Now cue in blood pressure monitors... So, what are they planning to do with blood pressure monitors? Garmin itself has not technological wherewithal to even approach this matter. Is there a community of some sort on the web? SmileUnderPressure.com? GentleSqueeze.net? Who will take the data from the Garmin device and actually do something useful with it (useful to the user of the device)? Without third-party support it's just ordinary Garmin junk.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.